杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

Greccio is the mountain village where Saint Francis of Assisi created the first crib scene in 1223 to commemorate the birth of Jesus. 杏MAP导航 Francis returned to the town on Sunday to deliver his Apostolic Letter entitled, 鈥淎dmirabile signum鈥�.

An enchanting image

The Latin title of the Letter refers to the 鈥渆nchanting image鈥� of the Christmas crèche, one that 鈥渘ever ceases to arouse amazement and wonder鈥�, writes the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淭he depiction of Jesus鈥� birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God鈥�, he says.

A living Gospel

鈥淭he nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture鈥�, continues 杏MAP导航 Francis. Contemplating the Christmas story is like setting out on a spiritual journey, 鈥渄rawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman.鈥� So great is His love for us, writes the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渢hat He became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with Him.鈥�

A family tradition

The 杏MAP导航 hopes this Letter will encourage the family tradition of preparing the nativity scene, 鈥渂ut also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares.鈥� Praising the imagination and creativity that goes into these small masterpieces, 杏MAP导航 Francis says he hopes this custom will never be lost 鈥渁nd that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived.鈥�

The Gospel origin of the crèche

杏MAP导航 Francis recalls the origin of the Christmas crèche as related in the Gospels. 鈥淐oming into this world, the Son of God was laid in the place where animals feed. Hay became the first bed of the One who would reveal Himself as 鈥榯he bread come down from heaven鈥�.鈥� The nativity scene 鈥渆vokes a number of the mysteries of Jesus鈥� life and brings them close to our own daily lives鈥�, writes the 杏MAP导航.

Saint Francis鈥� crèche in Greccio

杏MAP导航 Francis takes us back to the Italian town of Greccio, which Saint Francis visited in the year 1223. The caves he saw there reminded him of the countryside of Bethlehem. On 25 December, friars and local people came together, bringing flowers and torches, writes the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淲hen Francis arrived, he found a manger full of hay, an ox and a donkey.鈥� A priest celebrated the Eucharist over the manger, 鈥渟howing the bond between the Incarnation of the Son of God and the Eucharist.鈥�

The start of the tradition

This is how our tradition began, continues 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渨ith everyone gathered in joy around the cave, with no distance between the original event and those sharing in its mystery.鈥� With the simplicity of that sign, Saint Francis carried out a great work of evangelization, he writes. His teaching continues today 鈥渢o offer a simple yet authentic means of portraying the beauty of our faith.鈥�

A sign of God鈥� tender love

杏MAP导航 Francis explains that the Christmas crèche moves us so deeply because it shows God鈥檚 tender love. From the time of its Franciscan origins, 鈥渢he nativity scene has invited us to 鈥榝eel鈥� and 鈥榯ouch鈥� the poverty that God鈥檚 Son took upon Himself in the Incarnation鈥�, writes the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淚t asks us to meet Him and serve Him by showing mercy to those of our brothers and sisters in greatest need.鈥�

The meaning of the crèche elements  

杏MAP导航 Francis reflects on the meaning behind the elements that make up the nativity scene. He begins with the background of 鈥渁 starry sky wrapped in the darkness and silence of night.鈥� We think of when we have experienced the darkness of night, he says, yet even then, God does not abandon us. 鈥淗is closeness brings light where there is darkness and shows the way to those dwelling in the shadow of suffering.鈥�

The landscape

The 杏MAP导航 then writes about the landscapes that often include ancient ruins or buildings. He explains how these ruins are 鈥渢he visible sign of fallen humanity, of everything that inevitably falls into ruin, decays and disappoints.鈥� This scenic setting tells us that Jesus has come 鈥渢o heal and rebuild, to restore the world and our lives to their original splendour.鈥�

The shepherds

Turning to the shepherds, 杏MAP导航 Francis writes that, 鈥渦nlike so many other people, busy about many things, the shepherds become the first to see the most essential thing of all: the gift of salvation. It is the humble and the poor who greet the event of the Incarnation.鈥� The shepherds respond to God 鈥渨ho comes to meet us in the Infant Jesus by setting out to meet Him with love, gratitude and awe鈥�, he adds.  

The poor and the lowly

The presence of the poor and the lowly, continues the 杏MAP导航, is a reminder that 鈥淕od became man for the sake of those who feel most in need of His love and who ask Him to draw near to them.鈥� From the manger, 鈥淛esus proclaims, in a meek yet powerful way, the need for sharing with the poor as the path to a more human and fraternal world in which no one is excluded or marginalized.鈥�

Everyday holiness

Then there are the figures that have no apparent connection with the Gospel accounts. Yet, writes 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渇rom the shepherd to the blacksmith, from the baker to the musicians, from the women carrying jugs of water to the children at play: all this speaks of everyday holiness, the joy of doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way.鈥�

Mary and Joseph

The 杏MAP导航 then focuses on the figures of Mary and Joseph.

鈥淢ary is a mother who contemplates her child and shows Him to every visitor鈥�, he writes. 鈥淚n her, we see the Mother of God who does not keep her Son only to herself, but invites everyone to obey His word and to put it into practice. Saint Joseph stands by her side, 鈥減rotecting the Child and His Mother.鈥� Joseph is the guardian, the just man, who 鈥渆ntrusted himself always to God鈥檚 will.鈥�

The Infant Jesus

But it is when we place the statue of the Infant Jesus in the manger, that the nativity scene comes alive, says 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淚t seems impossible, yet it is true: in Jesus, God was a child, and in this way He wished to reveal the greatness of His love: by smiling and opening His arms to all.鈥� The crèche allows us to see and touch this unique and unparalleled event that changed the course of history, 鈥渂ut it also makes us reflect on how our life is part of God鈥檚 own life.鈥� 

The Three Kings

As the Feast of Epiphany approaches, we add the Three Kings to the Christmas crèche. Their presence reminds us of every Christian鈥檚 responsibility to spread the Gospel, writes 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淭he Magi teach us that people can come to Christ by a very long route鈥�, but returning home, they tell others of this amazing encounter with the Messiah, 鈥渢hus initiating the spread of the Gospel among the nations.鈥�

Transmitting the faith

The memories of standing before the Christmas crèche when we were children should remind us 鈥渙f our duty to share this same experience with our children and our grandchildren鈥�, says 杏MAP导航 Francis. It does not matter how the nativity scene is arranged, 鈥渨hat matters is that it speaks to our lives.鈥�

The Christmas crèche is part of the precious yet demanding process of passing on the faith, concludes 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淏eginning in childhood, and at every stage of our lives, it teaches us to contemplate Jesus, to experience God鈥檚 love for us, to feel and believe that God is with us and that we are with Him.鈥�